On January 3, 2003, nearly two months after billmon first commented on Daily Kos, Markos made an announcement:
Introducing the first dKos guest contributors
Greetings everyone. Work and the Political State Report have been keeping me busy. So busy, in fact, that I have lined up two guest contributors to pick up my slack over the next two weeks.
Long time readers will recognize the guest contributors immediately: Billmon and Steve Soto, both of them comment board favorites. The two of them will essentially take over this site starting tomorrow (and may start posting as soon as today). I'll still post occassionally, but in effect this will be their site for the two-week period.
Try to be nice.
Update: Posts written by either Billmon of Steve will be signed by their respective authors. If you see a post with no signature, it's still me.
Posted January 03, 2003 09:28 AM
Yes, it should have been "Billmon or Steve" in the update, but typos happen. So do jumps. One right about...now!
As chronicled in Part 1, Markos's request to Billmon was probably made on or after December 27, 2002, when he asked billmon to mail him in one post's comment section. Billmon, being a pseudonymous blogger, gave no contact info, so this was kos's only way to get in touch with him without revealing the reason. Eight days before, kos had front-paged a comment by billmon as its own post after having said of that comment:
Jesus Christ, Billmon. When are you starting your own weblog? I'm using this last post on the homepage.
Daily Kos was a bit over seven months old by now, and growing swiftly. Any extended break in posting could wreck the momentum of the site—hence billmon and Steve Soto. Billmon's posts started the same day as kos's announcement, and were signed "Billmon"; as of that day, and for the duration of his January stint (which ended the 16th), he switched from signing comments as lower-case "billmon" to capitalized "Billmon", though an occasional "Billmo" slipped in when he was in a hurry. Once he returned to the front page at the end of February, post and comment signatures would be capitalized or not, at his whim. Occasionally, his posts would have a head and a subhead; here, I've included both, and separated them with an em dash (—).
The next few times Markos needed a sub after early January, Steve Soto soloed. But Steve started his own blog on February 24, so when Markos needed a sub the following weekend, Billmon soloed in the first of three additional official stints as a substitute, posting February 28 through March 2. The next set of guest posts was the weekend after, but he only blogged on Saturday, March 8 (though he almost certainly posted Sunday's open thread). He made a few individual posts in late March, after the Iraq invasion had begun, and then settled in for a final period of substitute blogging with new guest blogger Steve Gilliard on April 3. On April 7, he made his final front-page post, announcing that he finally had a new blog, though no posts as yet, a situation that would likely be rectified within the day.
There's so much here that's interesting, well written, and simply a pleasure to read, that I'm not quite sure where to tell you to start. Billmon's first post, The Shape of Things to Come, an advance look at the events of 2003, was cited by a gilas girl just last Friday as "still my vote for 'best dkos post ever.' " Or you could try The Forrest Gump Economy, a devastating take-down that starts
How stupid is the Bush economic "stimulus" plan? Let me count the ways . . . 968, 969, 970 . . . forget it. Who’s got the time?
and then goes to town. Or perhaps the convoluted Israeli political situation called Sharongate, which I hadn't heard about until I read the story while assembling this diary, or even Gimme That Old Time Religion about dear Antonin Scalia running off at the mouth, even while being hyped as future Chief Justice of the Supremes.
Tell you what. There are over 75 posts linked to below. Odds are, if you click on a few of them, you'll find something you'll be glad you read. And there's some good stuff in many of the comment threads, too. Happy reading!
Friday, January 3:
• The Shape of Things to Come is Billmon's first direct post to the front page, and has 10 of 63 comments by Billmon.
• Whole Lott a Trouble? has no comments from Billmon in the 21 posted.
January 5:
• Ring of Truth? also has 3 of 41 comments by Billmon
January 6:
• The Forrest Gump Economy also has 4 of 18 comments by Billmon
January 7:
• Fun With Numbers also has 7 of 34 comments by Billmon
• Leaves of Grass has no comments by Billmon in the 4 posted.
• Stop Press: Dog Bites Man also has 9 of 103 comments by Billmon
• Cattle Call Plus has no comments by Billmon in the 60 posted.
January 8:
• Life Imitates Art? also has 2 of 20 comments (one unsigned) by Billmon
• Sharongate also has 7 of 34 comments by Billmon
• A Very Fine Whine also has 4 of 18 comments by Billmon
• White Supremacist (Not Trent Lott) Arrested also has 11 of 47 comments by Billmon
January 9:
• Billmon's unsigned Bush: Kennedy is 'Fabulous' also has 1 of 11 comments by Billmon
• Billmon's unsigned Cattle Call Update also has 5 of 37 comments by Billmon
January 10:
• Back Despite Popular Demand also has 3 of 27 comments by Billmon
• Give My Regrets also has 2 of 10 comments by Billmon
• Pick a Number, Any Number—NATO Allies Willing to Attack Iraq Without UN, Wolfowitz Says has no comments by Billmon in the 30 posted.
• Grasping at Straw Polls also has 2 of 27 comments by Billmon
• Eatin' Words also has 2 of 23 comments by Billmon
January 11:
• Why Not Try Soylent Green? also has 2 of 5 comments by Billmon
• The world's oldest profession—President's Public Mood Turns Cheerless also has 5 of 20 comments by Billmon
• Strategery also has 10 of 64 comments by Billmon
• Gotta Get Up Pretty Damn Early in the Morning to Fool Dick Cheney also has 1 of 9 comments by Billmon
• An unsigned Delusions of Grandeur also has 1 of 5 comments by Billmon
• And the Most Predictable Headline of the Year Award Goes to . . . also has 1 of 12 comments by Billmon
January 12:
• Graham's In also has 6 of 101 comments by Billmon
• Frum the Horse's Mouth also has 2 of 19 comments by Billmon
• Dark Side of the Moon has no comments by Billmon in the 26 posted.
• An unsigned How Do You Like Me Now? has no comments by Billmon in the 6 posted.
• An unsigned Term Limits? Those Are For the Little People has 3 of 29 comments by Billmon
January 13:
• Return of the Living Dead also has 4 of 25 comments by Billmon
• Gimme That Old Time Religion also has 12 of 61 comments (one unsigned; look for mention of Mrs. Billmon) by Billmon
• An unsigned Did Somebody Turn Off Bill Schneider's Life Support? also has 2 of 19 comments by Billmon
• Downhill From Here? also has 2 of 50 comments by Billmon
• Just Say HMO also has 2 of 17 comments by Billmon
• Dividends Revisited also has 3 of 30 comments by Billmon
January 14:
• Cooking Up a Storm? also has 4 of 64 comments by Billmon
• An unsigned Information Please also has 2 of 12 comments by Billmon
• The Tipping Point also has 1 of 17 comments by Billmon
• The Guns of February also has 3 of 24 comments by Billmon
• Bold (Billmon's, though signed "Boldmon") also has 3 of 15 comments by Billmon
January 16:
• Lean Mean Dean Machine? also has 1 of 36 comments by Billmon
• Good News also has 1 of 22 comments by Billmon
February 28:
• Return of the living dead also has 2 of 12 comments by Billmon.
• Out of Africa also has 1 of 26 comments by Billmon.
• Raising Hamas also has 3 of 24 comments by billmon.
• Spam in a Jam also has 4 of 16 comments by Billmon.
• Hail to the Thief has no comments by Billmon in the 15 posted.
March 1:
• Takes One to Know One also has 2 of 51 comments by Billmon.
• South of the Border has no comments by billmon in the 22 posted.
• Pressed Turkey also has 2 of 38 comments by billmon.
• Turkish Taffy has no comments by billmon in the 28 posted.
• The Clinton Factor also has 1 of 22 comments by Billmon.
• The Sound of Silence also has 1 of 20 comments by Billmon.
• Do These Men Work for the Same Government? has no comments by billmon in the 25 posted.
• The Big Fish also has 2 of 39 comments by Billmon.
March 2:
• Snake Eyes also has 2 of 96 comments by Billmon.
• Please Speak Clearly into the Lamp also has 1 of 51 comments by Billmon.
• No Means No also has 1 of 13 comments by Billmon.
• No Means Yes has no comments by billmon in the 19 posted.
• Baghdad Rules also has 1 of 27 comments by Billmon.
• What Next? also has 1 of 35 comments by Billmon.
• Over and Out has no comments by billmon in the 11 posted.
March 8:
• Scenes from the Next War also has 1 of 34 comments by Billmon.
• Good Old Boys also has 1 of 34 comments by Billmon.
• Back to Korea has no comments by billmon in the 26 posted.
March 25:
• What the Experts Are Saying also has 17 of 265 comments by Billmon.
March 26:
• More From Officer X also has 14 of 156 comments by Billmon.
March 31:
• 'A Lack of Character' also has 5 of 128 comments by Billmon.
April 3:
• Fog of War? Or Fog of Lies? also has 1 of 46 comments by Billmon.
• Lies, Damned Lies and the Office of Strategic Influence has no comments by Billmon in the 26 posted.
• The Holistic Shooting Match also has 1 of 15 comments by Billmon.
April 4:
• Scenes From the Burma Railway also has 9 of 172 comments by Billmon.
• Zinni for President? also has 2 of 43 comments by Billmon.
• Defining Victory Down has no comments by Billmon in the 26 posted.
April 5:
• What the War is NOT About also has 1 of 27 comments by Billmon.
• Our Man in Baghdad also has 3 of 24 comments by Billmon.
• Weapons of Mass Destruction? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Weapons of Mass Destruction! also has 3 of 134 comments by Billmon.
April 6:
• The Open Thread is unsigned, but kos wasn't yet back, and Billmon has no comments in it, though Steve Gilliard does. Which of them would say "But PLEASE don't feed the trolls . . ."?
• Science Experiment has no comments by Billmon in the 84 posted.
April 7:
• Last Words has no comments by Billmon in the 27 posted. It's an excellent look at "what the Iraq invasion...might mean for the US and the world's lesser powers." The last paragraph of that post:
The 20th century ended. The Cold War ended. But history didn't.
However, Billmon's posting history on Daily Kos does end here. As always, corrections and pointers to missing information are most welcome.
I would like to remind you that Billmon also has a dKosopedia page that discusses his Daily Kos career, including pages with links to his comments and to his front-page posts. The material on these pages is based on Part 1 of this series, and the comment links have been expanded since last week's diary. The posts page is still under construction, and will soon contain the links from this diary.
Billmon's own blog, the Whiskey Bar, opened for business right after he signed off the Daily Kos front page for the last time. It has 2853 posts by Billmon through the end of December 2006, and is archived here. Its default page is the penultimate one posted, a retrospective of Billmon's Iraq posts from the first year of his blog.
~~~~~
We also have a retrospective with a shorter horizon on tap: top comments from the past 24 hours, most as emailed to the TopComments mailbox. Thanks to all who took the time to mail in comments. If you saw any great comments that are not mentioned here—and there were well over thirty-six thousand comments to examine—please do link to them in your own comments below. The address of that mailbox:
TopComments AT gmail DOT com
(change " AT " to "@" and " DOT " to ".")
Anyone can submit deserving comments to our address—the direct link to a comment is available from that comment's date/time—as long as they arrive by 9:30pm Eastern Time. Please always include your Daily Kos user name in the body of your message, so we can credit you properly. Both link and username are important.
Sharoney submitted the following nomination late last night:
shpilk gives the only appropriate response to Snickers77's breaking news about Hillary's latest fundraising results. [Editor's note: that means read the breaking news first; otherwise, how will you be able to judge the appropriateness or humor?]
From vertexoflife:
This Phun-filled comment thread left me laughing for a while. Watch out, you might get wet! [Editor's note: little did kos know what he was starting with this particular announcement...]
A nomination sent by dconrad:
The comment by George Gould (as amended) on Soldier Suicides perfectly captures the Catch-22 nature of bureaucratic thinking and the heart wrenching way our government has let down our soldiers. It's the perfect counterpoint to GregMitch's fact-filled diaries on this scandal, including the one in which these nominated comments appeared. Positively inspired.
earicicle writes:
In Eddie C's searing diary about one American health care tragedy, bubbanomics imagines how far the Republicans are willing to take deregulation.
In this hilarious thread from JeffLieber's morning-after diary, Oba a Sh uld Conc de, strengthANDwisdom and JeffLieber indulge in breathless, cable-TV-worthy, post-Pennsylvania punditry.
From jnhobbs:
In Devilstower's front-page post, Someone is Lying. Guess who. comparing the veracity of Jimmy Carter and Condoleezza Rice, johnsonwax offered this.
SpamNunn sent this nomination, but left it to me to do my own write-up, heh, heh:
The FAQ Forum was published by dmsilev today, and jlms qkw asks why doesn't anyone post this pic? Talk about a doomed question...
From your diarist sardonyx, who had at least a little time to look for top comments today:
The infamous JeffLieber responds to kos's diary 'But he spent more money!' on Obama outspending Clinton 3-1 with a helpful reminder that gives aztecraingod some very good numbers indeed, and the comment thread rapidly rolls downhill thereafter (from all the rounding, no doubt).
Dallasdoc on opportunistic courtiers in the media, toadying to the conservative establishment. See more Dallasdoc downthread, too.
In JG in MD's diary Pay Equity for Women: 'This Means War!' on today's Republican block of cloture on the Pay Equity for Women bill, Owllwoman reminds us why this legislation is so badly needed.
No Top Comments diary would be complete without that day's top mojo—those comments which have received the highest number of recommendations from Daily Kos users like you. Today's is supplied by sardonyx, using his own revision of cskendrick's mojo-to-Excel magic.
First, Top Mojo excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first diary comments, Cheers and Jeers, and Mojo Friday comments:
1) Yep. I'm a senior. by Elsinora — 304
2) Well... by droy20 — 222
3) The thing about the rudeness is by scardanelli — 145
4) Three cheers for RenaRF by noweasels — 144
5) The young are healthy & can't afford insurance by FishOutofWater — 136
6) I will double by noweasels — 125
7) I just got layed off by Mi Corazon — 117
8) A lot of people were offended. by RenaRF — 117
9) What's the point? Here's the point. by jhutson — 116
10) Don't taze me, Kos! by David Boyle — 107
11) It's time to put the damned primary wars by blue jersey mom — 103
12) I'm gonna regret this... by Erevann — 102
13) Oh stop using logic! by Vita Brevis — 96
14) I hate to be a contrarian here by Seneca Doane — 90
15) Oh my...my first time on the rec list! by Elsinora — 89
16) Well done, Elsinora! by STOP George — 85
17) And these days, particularly in primary care by stitchmd — 81
18) I do know that. by Floja Roja — 78
19) Rec this comment below -- by kath25 — 78
20) He just got another $25 that I don't have! by Dapremonster — 77
21) it's silly to be offended by FireCrow — 75
22) My delegate prediction of 85-73... by PsiFighter37 — 74
23) Didn't think about that... by Elsinora — 74
24) Seriously. If the Edwards' end up endorsing by Methinks They Lie — 73
25) bwahahahaha! by carpediva — 72
26) When by el dorado gal — 71
27) I'll Also Match Floja by peacemon — 71
28) Oh, I will! by Elsinora — 70
29) I'm tired of wondering what John Edwards wants by dansac — 70
30) donate by jinok — 70
31) We have switched doctors by egoldstein — 70
Top Mojo with No Exclusions:
1) Tips for tough questions? n/t by Elsinora — 1216
2) OK, tell you what. by Floja Roja — 687
3) Giddyup. by RenaRF — 401
4) The tipping rate is 6%, I hear. by Northern Sky — 377
5) Tip Jar by PsiFighter37 — 357
6) Another nail in the coffin . . . by nyceve — 309
7) Yep. I'm a senior. by Elsinora — 304
8) Tips for Ending this thing on May 6th by dansac — 240
9) Late diary I know by kid oakland — 225
10) Well... by droy20 — 222
11) Any moderately sentient Obama surrogates by PocketNines — 219
12) Tips/flames by DJShay — 214
13) Thanks again to everyone... by Scott Kleeb — 213
14) Tips for more SDs to follow n/t by Joe B — 207
15) The thing about the rudeness is by scardanelli — 145
16) Three cheers for RenaRF by noweasels — 144
17) Tips for Action by Populista — 141
18) since when does 54and a quarter by terrypinder — 136
19) The young are healthy & can't afford insurance by FishOutofWater — 136
20) Tip Jar by Oreo — 136
21) I will double by noweasels — 125
22) I just got layed off by Mi Corazon — 117
23) A lot of people were offended. by RenaRF — 117
24) What's the point? Here's the point. by jhutson — 116
25) Don't taze me, Kos! by David Boyle — 107
26) It's time to put the damned primary wars by blue jersey mom — 103
27) I'm gonna regret this... by Erevann — 102
28) Oh stop using logic! by Vita Brevis — 96
29) Barack Bankrupted Her. That's the Big Win. by Swampfoot — 90
30) I hate to be a contrarian here by Seneca Doane — 90
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All quotes are the property of the original authors or the websites that held them